The man named Amamiya Ren
by Raoul The Third
Summary: He was just an ordinary person, someone who worked several jobs for a living. Yet they couldn't help but notice him. Just who was Amamiya Ren?
1. First Year - Hado Nejire

**I don't own anything related to the series involved.**

**Enjoy this little series I thought of. ****Or hate it.**

* * *

It was at her first year In U.A academy did Nejire hear about _"place of relaxation"_. A restaurant hidden away from the busier streets of the city, where people would go whenever they needed a quick fix. It was at her first year in U.A did she decide to search for this seemingly elusive restaurant, curious to see what the all the hype was about.

It was easier said than done though, for every time she would try to find said restaurant, she would never be able to find it. It started as a little side idea the first few day, and then into a self accomplishing mission when a week passed, until finally it became an obsession just a little after two. Hado Nejire was now fully invested in finding this restaurant and was doing whatever it took to find it. Dragging her two buddies, Amajiki Tamaki and Togata Mirio, into her little obsession, she walked the usual path, turning to an alleyway, before turning again at the corner where the was supposed to be.

She searched with her eyes everywhere, frantically trying to piece two and two together. She was dragging Tamaki to help, the poor boy looking into small corners between buildings at her behest. The two couldn't find it, and she had the feeling that Mirio wasn't exactly helping. She turned to where she last saw him, ready to call his name and ask for help, until she noticed that he was no longer there.

"It's right here!" Was Mirio's call, and Nejire believed she moved faster than All Might could have ever at that moment.

Somehow, she had never noticed the little coffee sign with an arrow pointing to a secluded pathway. She would've smacked herself for the blunder on her part, but this wasn't the time and place for that. What mattered was that the mystery was solved, the location of the restaurant now found.

She was excited now, happy that one part of her curiosity had been sated. Now, onto the next.

She scanned the area in her sights, looking past Mirio. The door had little open sign hanging on it, a chair sat beside the door with chalkboard advertising hot chocolate on it, and above it all was the name of the restaurant.

_Leblanc_.

What a nice name. She liked it already.

* * *

Liking Leblanc would be a gross understatement.

She absolutely adored it. For multiple reasons:

The first was the hot chocolate, her first taste of it leaving a lasting impression. She didn't like the taste of caffeine, and the only drink she could recognize that wasn't laced in it was the hot chocolate (she even made sure to ask). The moment her lips made contact, she knew she was in love. It tasted too good to be legal, and she knew that no ordinary hot chocolate would satisfy her anymore. Leblanc was the only place that she could buy a good version of the drink, scratch that, the _best_ version of the drink.

It was just that good.

The second reason was because it was so relaxing. Every time she was in the store, she could feel her worries disappear, like they never existed. The was beginning to get used to the smell of coffee, and it only recently began to soothe her nerves. Leblanc was a good place to relax in, and she couldn't help herself but go whenever she had a rough day, or when she didn't feel like going home.

Leblanc was like her little safe space. Like Mirio in hero class, and Tamaki in his little corner, Leblanc was her calling, a place she felt her most comfortable.

It certainly helped that the owner of the shop was a kind man, someone who welcomed all his guests with a smile on his face.

Amamiya Ren was his name and he was the third reason she kept on visiting. He had no presence to him whatsoever, was as simple and plain looking as they come, and gave off the aura that he wouldn't hurt a fly. Couple that with a pair of nerdy glasses and an amazing customer service smile, and you have one of the nicest people Nejire had ever met. Not even the old lady that lived next door compared to him.

Okay, maybe the old lady next door could compare to him. That wasn't the point, though. The point was that Amamiya Ren was the kindest person she had ever met, and she would gladly indulge in that kindness. It was a guilty pleasure of hers to see his smile; one that reminded her of a kind hero.

She had no reason to correct that guilty pleasure anytime soon.

And she doubts she ever would.

* * *

Somehow through a turn of events, Ren began tutoring her. Perhaps it was out of pity, or perhaps it was out of worry, Nejire didn't care if it was one or the other. All she cared about was that the questions she was having trouble with were all solved one day, Ren pointing out what to do and how to do.

It was that day she realized how smart the man was, and how boring school was. Seriously, he made teaching seem easy.

Maybe she could ask principal Nezu to hire him…

Anyways, the reason she was studying was because final exams for her first semester was only a few weeks away, and she was horribly unprepared for them. She didn't exactly pay attention in class, and it was beginning to show, as she had no idea what chapter her class was in for modern English, nor did she have any idea what '_x' _meant in math.

Hado Nejire was going to fail her written, probably her practical too, if she didn't do something soon. Quirk training was one thing, but academics was a whole new world, one she didn't want to venture alone to.

Thank goodness Tamaki and Mirio were in the same boat as her.

Back to reality, Nejire grabbed her pencil and began writing, copying equations while trying to solve them. Whenever she needed help, she would call Ren over, and show him what she didn't understand. He would explain things gently to her, not going too fast lest she have a mental shutdown, before writing an example for her to follow.

Seriously, she needed to get the principal to hire the man. One way or another.

She raised her hand for help, but instead of him looking over her textbook, she got a plate of rice and curry placed in front of her. Confused, she asked what that was for, before her stomach growled and her face went red. Guess she studied for quite a while.

"This is on the house. Take a break, then you can continue later." Ren said. "Good job on studying, Hado-san."

She liked that he was considerate when tutoring. She also liked that he gave her free food sometimes.

She also really liked the praise he gave her. It felt genuine.

She took a bite of her free meal, flavors exploding in her mouth. That was another thing she learned about him; he was a great cook. She doubted she ever enjoyed a meal this good before. Sorry parents, sorry Lunch Rush, but it was true.

Amamiya Ren was in a league of his own.

She didn't thank anyone could compare.

* * *

It was after one rigorous day of what Midnight liked to call, _"Youthful training"_ did Nejire want to curl up and lay motionless for an entire day. Her body was sore like no tomorrow, and she had a feeling she would never be able to see a fire hydrant the same way ever again.

Midnight truly lived up to being 'the R-Rated Hero'. It was kind of messed up, that Midnight even became a teacher.

Or that she was even approved at all.

Still, Nejire moved on, and eventually arrived at Leblanc. She took her favourite seat at the booth at the back, and ordered a hot chocolate lethargically, before laying her head on the table she was using.

Bad etiquette, but Ren wouldn't mind. The man had a soft spot for her, she was sure, and she would use that to her advantage. She let her eyes flutter close, a smile adorning her face as she began snoozing. She would've continued her little nap, but the sound of a cup touching the table roused her enough to mumble a _"Five more minutes"_ before falling asleep once more.

It was then, that she learned of Ren's ability to wake someone up. "Patra", he said, or something along those lines. One moment she was sleeping peacefully, the next she was sitting straight up, looking around as if she had a goodnight's rest.

"Your hot chocolate is getting cold" was all he said, before he left to help another customer, leaving her to stare at him in wonder.

Did he use his quirk on her? Who was _"Patra"_? If he could wake her up, did that mean he could put her to sleep? She needed to know.

She began asking when there were no more customers in the store, pestering him to tell her his quirk. Instead of giving her the answer, he just smiled at her, an air of mystery surrounding him.

"It's a secret."

It was then and there did she vow to solve what his quirk was, to unveil the secret he had hidden.

Amamiya Ren was a mystery now.

Or maybe he always was one.

* * *

It was close to the end of the year that one day, Midnight had accompanied her to Leblanc, saying she wanted to meet the famous _"Coffee and curry master"_. Of course, Nejire showed her the way, even told her what Ren was like. Smart, kind, mysterious… she told Midnight everything about Ren that she knew of, even telling her that he was the one who helped her upgrade her grades.

Nejire didn't like the way Midnight licked her lips after describing Ren to her. Nejire _really_ didn't like the way Midnight stared at Ren when he welcomed them.

It was then and there did she learn that Ren, be it intentional or not, had grabbed the attention of her homeroom teacher, and it was then and there did she realize she _really_ didn't like Midnight.

She sat in her usual seat, while Midnight grabbed one at the counter, legs crossed as she chatted with Ren. Ren gave his full attention to the hero, while Nejire just stared at her back. A smile no longer on her face.

Nejire didn't like the look Midnight gave Ren, and she didn't like that Ren was doing nothing about it. Dumb Midnight, dumb Ren…

"You're quite the looker, now that I get a good look at you." That was Midnight and her dumb flirty voice. "You're probably popular with the ladies, aren't you?"

"Thank you, Ms. Midnight." He had a look in his eyes that Nejire had never seen before. "I'm sorry, but it doesn't seem right to call you that."

"If it's alright with you, may I have your name?"

Nejire didn't like him looking at her teacher like that. It was gross, disgusting, revolting…

Not nice at all.

"How bold!" Midnight said. "Just call me Nemuri, dear."

"You can call me Ren then. Now, what can I get for you, Nemuri-san?"

"I'd like-"

Nejire didn't bother listening to their conversation. Instead, she pulled out her schoolwork and began writing in it. Anger was a powerful motivator, as when Midnight had left, she had finished all her work, the only thing left being to order some hot chocolate.

Hot chocolate that was already on her table, a cute marshmallow cat floating atop of it.

"You know," She could see Ren from behind the counter, smiling as he cleaned a glass. When did he…?

"If you're jealous, you could have just said so."

That day, she learned what jealousy was.

And what a schoolgirl crush felt like.

* * *

She was happy to be a regular customer at the shop, and she was happy to have befriended the man named Amamiya Ren.

There were many things that he did for her. Too many to count. All she could say was that he helped tutor her, be nice to her, served her the best hot chocolate she had ever tasted, and gave her a free meal every now and then, a _really_ good meal.

She was really grateful to him, especially when he introduced her to the new and upcoming hero, Ryukyu. How he had connections to her, she didn't know, all she knew was that the woman was nice, and cute when it came down to it. Ryukyu was her favourite hero nowadays and getting to meet her was one of the happiest days of her life. She thanked Ren so many times for that, giving him a big hug.

He smelled like coffee. She _really_ liked the smell of coffee now.

She opened the door to the store, a smile on her face. She was greeted by him like usual, her usual order already in the making.

She really liked the hot chocolate here.

She took her usual seat, watching the man prepare her drink before a thought crossed her mind.

"Patra." She whispered, not believing she had forgotten.

What was Amamiya Ren's quirk?

* * *

**Stories will be kept short.**

**Until next time.**


	2. First year - Blood Hero: Kan Sekijiro

**I own nothing from both series. I do this cause I'm a weeb.**

* * *

Kan Sekijiro, Blood hero: Vlad King, was not a morning person.

As far back as he could remember, mornings did nothing but bring pain. Growing up did little in his opinion, and becoming a teacher only strengthened it. Mornings were the worst, and nothing would change that. Still, as a teacher and pro hero, Sekijiro had no choice but to endure the wicked time and go on throughout the day like any other.

That didn't mean he had to suffer in silence; however, for what better way to start the day with a nice cup of joe, maybe a sweet or two to go with it.

That sounded divine.

He walked to the teacher's lounge and made a b-line for the coffee maker. No colleague was in sight, which meant they were already preparing for the first day of classes. It was still early, plenty of time to make a pot for himself. Sekijiro skillfully prepared everything as he waited for the machine to finish his awaited nirvana, patiently waiting for his drink to be ready.

One minute.

It wasn't even one minute.

It wasn't even one minute into the brewing process did the smell reach Sekijiro's nose. Not one minute went by that Sekijiro knew-

"Why is the coffee maker on fire?!"

Today's morning was going to be a long one.

* * *

He jinxed himself. It wasn't just that morning that would be a long one.

"Who would've thought that this entire week would be hell, eh Vlad?"

"Shut it, Hizashi. I have work that needs to be done."

"Yoww! Alright, see ya then!" He watched the man prance off. Damn him. "Don't need to tell me twice when I'm not wanted. Geez!" And the man left, leaving Sekijiro alone.

Actually, he wished he was truly alone. Too bad the several stacks of paperwork were there to keep him company…

What a shame.

He slumped on chair he was on, his weight bending the metal. Sekijiro didn't care, couldn't care, he didn't have the time. Sekijiro needed to finalize all the paperwork in relation to the past week, along with apology letters regarding the injuries several students had been sent home with. A miscalculation on the staff of U.A's.

You see, Recovery Girl had left Japan for an untold amount of time, something he and his colleagues were not told of until it was too late. Apparently, there was a promising individual with a healing quirk in America, and the elder took the first plane to wherever without telling anyone, wanting to see for herself how _promising_ this person was. With Recovery Girl no longer within the vicinity of U.A, the school was without their main source of medical expertise. Sekijiro could count on one hand how many times she had been on away trips, and he can count over hundreds of times how catastrophic it was when she was not here. U.A was the leading school in producing quality heroes, and Recovery Girl was the reason their mortality rate was at a winning zero percent.

The first day of school and someone was already injured. The second day and we quadruple that. By the end of the week, over fifty hero course students were injured in some way (mostly third-years), and a whole first-year class expelled from U.A.

Damn Aizawa and his _"freedom of teaching"_. There were many students with amazing quirks in that class, yet the man had gotten rid of them, sent home injured no less. Zero potential, his ass. That was just uncalled for.

Anyways, Recovery Girl was not in the school, students were injured, complaints that they could not turn away were sent… The week was a total mess, something he and the otherswould have never had expected, and now he was doing paperwork almost 24/7. He didn't even bother taking a break, for whenever he had free time it was used to write a letter of apology. Unlike his coworkers, he was diligent with his duties, and the faster he got this done, the faster his suffering would end.

That's what he told himself to keep sane, anyways. With the number of physical letters sent to him, he was sure it would be a long time before that suffering was over.

Seriously, did no one think to use of an email?

* * *

The suffering finished the day after, and Sekijiro finally had time to relax. Unfortunately, that free time was short lived, because he had patrols he needed to do around U.A's neighborhood. Costume on, and eyes strained and bloodshot, Blood Hero: Vlad King was patrolling the streets, tired and weak from the stress of being a teacher.

Luckily, there were no incidents, and he was relieved rather quickly from his duty. It was evening time now, and nothing could stop him from walking home. Nothing could stop him from taking a nice long bath.

Nothing, except for the wonderful smell that would stop him dead in his tracks. One that happened to come from a secluded path he did not see.

It took him less than a minute to find the source. It took him less than a second to open the door. A small establishment hidden from the world, _Leblanc_, the store sign said. It didn't take much to figure out what the store sold, not if the smell was anything to go by.

Home could wait. He could use a cup. He certainly deserved.

Still in his hero-regalia, Sekijiro entered and studied the establishment. Modern would be the last way to describe the place, for the place looked run down yet new at the same time. _Vintage_ or _old school_ was the best way to describe it, and Sekijiro couldn't help but think that the place was owned by a person between the age of forty or fifty, trying to maintain the traditional coffee shop feel. He didn't expect a young man, probably in his early twenties, to be in charge, and he certainly didn't expect the young man to serve him the best cup of coffee he had in his entire life. Nothing compared to that moment, and nothing would be able to change his mind.

Inside a shop not too far away from U.A, Sekijiro found the pinnacle of caffeine. How this place had stayed hidden for so long was beyond him, and it felt criminal that he be the only one in the store. It goes without saying, but this would be the store he would visit before classes, before anything, really.

He was a loyal customer now, after all.

* * *

Amamiya Ren liked to tease people sometimes.

He was one of those people.

"You know, when you came running into the store, demanding caffeine while holding a knocked-out villain, I thought _you_ were the villain." He didn't need to look at the young man to notice the amused look. "You're lucky I didn't call the police."

"I… apologize for that. Classes were going to start, and I was delayed quite a bit..." He could still remember Midnight chewing him out for being late. "I promise it won't happen again, young man."

"It's Amamiya Ren, mister hero." His drink was placed in front of him, he quickly grabbed it.

He took a sip.

Delicious.

"They call me Vlad King, but it's Kan Sekijiro. Sekijiro will do." He put down the cup. "Young man, I'd like another serving please." He was referring to his empty plate of curry, that too, was delicious.

Lunch Rush needed to up his game, a new challenger had come into the food industry.

"Again, with the _young man_?" Ren rolled his eyes. "Didn't I just introduce myself?"

"My apologies, it's just…" He was too used to it already. _Young man/woman_ was his default for anyone. Victim, student he didn't know, reporter… It was his way of quickly referring to someone. He should probably change that for this young- Ah. He was doing it again.

"Boss."

"Pardon?" Sekijiro didn't understand. "Could you elaborate?"

"Boss." Ren said, hand waving as his back faced the hero. "From now on call me Boss."

"I won't accept anything else from you, Blood Hero."

That was the day Sekijiro began calling Amamiya Ren, Boss.

That was also the day that he learned that Ren kept his word, never once responding to Sekijiro otherwise.

What kind of customer service was that? Sekijiro didn't complain though.

Boss, for some reason, was a fitting nickname for Amamiya Ren.

He liked it.

* * *

One day, Leblanc was closed.

Sekijiro was still welcomed inside.

"I apologize for bothering you on your day off." Sekijro said. He really didn't mean for this. "I suppose I owe you one."

"Don't worry about it. Besides, couldn't leave someone hanging outside like that, especially after seeing that pouty expression on your face." Sekijiro already knew this, but Ren liked to tease people. A lot.

Also, Sekijiro Kan did not pout. He was just disappointed.

Very, very disappointed.

"Never mind that." Sekijiro steered the conversation away from another teasing bout. "You're done with those?"

"Yes, _Sensei_." A clean stack of papers was placed in front if him, marked with beautiful penmanship.

Sekijiro couldn't be anymore grateful.

One Saturday morning, Sekijirou ended up in front of a Leblanc, unaware that it closed that day. He planned on spending the morning there, grading papers while enjoying the drinks that were served before heading to the school to attend the teacher's weekly meeting. Plans went awry; however, and he was in front of a closed shop. Luckily, Ren was there, and had let him inside, even treating him to a drink. Ren said that it would be okay for him to stay, saying he had nothing better to do, and company was always welcomed. Sekijiro took his offer and sat down, assignments piled in front of him, ready to be marked.

He didn't expect for Ren to take a seat across from him, offering to help. He would've declined, but faster than he could imagine, Ren was already marking a few papers, using the copy of an answer sheet Sekijiro had in his hand. When and how did he get that, Sekijiro didn't know. He said that he didn't want to bother the shop owner any more than he had already, but the young man just chuckled, already halfway done with a stack. Sekijiro tried to get him to stop, that there was no need to help him, but the young man persisted, until eventually winning him over.

That day, Sekijiro made friends with the Amamiya Ren, and his impression of the young man skyrocketed that day.

It also helped that all his work was done that morning, leaving him with only a meeting to attend.

Sekijiro liked Amamiya Ren.

* * *

Visiting Leblanc on Saturdays had become a thing for Sekijiro, the first accident becoming a weekly routine over the year. He learned to enjoy the young man's company, even going as far to say that it was one of the few things he looked forward to, despite the Ren's sharp tongue. The year was almost at a close, and the two were talking about U.A.

Sekijiro wouldn't deny it, but he was the one to push the conversation that way, a purpose pushing him.

Throughout the year, there had been significant growth in a certain students academic record, an almost suspicious one. Thankfully, that suspicion was dealt within a heartbeat, the student proving her innocence, while pointing towards a direction a certain coffee shop was.

"_Renren is suuuuuper good at teaching! Better than all of you!"_ was what she brazenly said, pointing towards a direction all the while. The handful of teachers who confronted her about this were confused on who she was referring to, but Sekijiro knew. Sekijiro knew exactly who she was talking about.

Amamiya Ren was the person behind one of the lowest grading first-year student's sudden rise in academics. Amamiya Ren was the person who tutored Hado Nejire. The young man even told Sekijiro about it once, vaguely referring to Nejire as _"The bubbly hot chocolate addict who he helps"._ Sekijiro told the Mr. Principal about this, and in a heartbeat, the mouse had asked Sekijiro a favor. A rather large one.

A little hasty, Sekijiro thought, but considering Hado's grades before being tutored and during her time in middle school…

Yeah, what Ren did was a miracle. A damn fine miracle if Sekijiro ever saw one. It was because of this miracle that Sekijiro was here in Leblanc, talking to Ren about the school and all its glory. It was working, Sekijiro felt, and he needed just one more push to get the man into the position he needed.

Just one more push…

"U.A must be a hard place to get a job at." Ren said, eyes scanning a printout Sekijiro himself made. A printout of teacher's throughout U.A's history, himself included. "Everyone who works is a pro hero, each with a fairly good track record." Sekijiro patted himself on the back, he was also on that list.

"So, how the hell does the blood hero, who splattered his own blood everywhere during his debut, making several people scream in shock and disgust, manage to land a job there?"

Ah, there it was. The painful surprise attack that Amamiya Ren was capable of doing. Oh, how he almost forgot how the Boss loved to tease.

Almost.

"Jokes aside," Sekijiro did not go hot-blooded, not this times. "The school was founded on the idea of the cultivation of quality heroes, using hero teachers as models for the next generation-"

"Yet, they have the hero, who wore almost nothing during her debut, work around impressionable teenagers?" Ren said, eyebrow raised.

"_Jokes aside,_" Sekijiro repeated, madly calm. "There's a reason why I'm here today-"

"Yep, to relieve your caffeine addiction." Sekijiro felt a vein pop, his mouth twitching a bit. Calm, stay calm- "I think we need to cut you off. Too much is bad for your blood pressure."

That did the trick.

"I _control _my blood! Blood pressure is literally the least of my problems!" Sekijro yelled, annoyed by the interruption. "I can literally pour blood out of my body, then pull it back in. I don't need you to, quote on quote, _cut me off_."

"Say that to the many people who had your blood splashed all over them." Sekijro didn't need to look at Ren to see the gigawatt smirk on his face. "In fact, I think I remember a customer tell me of the headlines on the paper the day after..."

"Don't you dare...!" Sekijiro was glaring, mission forgotten. "You wouldn't…!"

"What was it again?" Ren tapped his chin, rhythmically counting down until just the right beat. "Oh, that's it!"

"Don't say it!"

"_Blood Hero: The Donor We Never Asked For!"_

"AAAAAAARGH!" He was pulling his hair. It hurt, the memory hurt.

"_Forecast of the day: Blood, Blood, and Blood!"_

"NO!" Mission failed, mission failed.

"You know, I think there is a Hero Documentary about all the disastrous debuts of days old." Ren pulled out his phone, tapping on it until he found it. "Oh, there's a picture of you."

"Don't remind me!" His head was down on the table, memories resurfacing. "I wasn't able to show my face in public for a month after that…"

A familiar video could be heard from the young man's phone, making the hero go wide-eyed.

He remembers that video...

"Wow, that's actually gruesome…" Aghast, Ren showed him the video. "It's _everywhere_! Look!"

He didn't need to look, the pictures and videos were already coming back to him. "Please… just end me…!"

The Boss of Leblanc didn't. He never did. It was only until an hour passed did he stop, the pro hero in shambles as memories of old were brought back. That day, Sekijiro learned how merciless the Boss of Leblanc was. That day, Sekijiro remembered his dark past.

That day, Sekijro forgot to ask Amamiya Ren if he wanted to join U.A as a part-time teacher and would not remember until a time later.

That's a story for another day.

* * *

**Stories are fun if you can make them fun.**

**Also I suck at endings of chapters.**

**See ya next time.**


	3. The days the store close

The business days of Leblanc were as followed: weekdays 7 AM – 6PM, and weekdays and holidays closed. There were days where Leblanc would be randomly closed; however, the chalkboard sign outside the store being the only fair warning for the sudden lack of business. Many speculated on why the store randomly closed, but there were never concrete answers as to why. Whenever the subject was touched upon, the owner would always just give them a smile, saying he had business outside the store to attend to and nothing else. Some thought he was telling the truth, others thought he was hiding something. Either way, the store closed at random occasions, never in pattern yet always a few times in a month.

Just what was so important that it took priority over Leblanc?

**[April XX, 7:30 AM]**

She walked towards her destination, her first day as an assistant. Anxious would be an understatement for what she felt, fear would be the least of her worries. At least she wasn't alone on her first day, that would be horrible. She was an extremely nervous person as it was, so thank whoever for him giving up his time for her.

"Todoroki-san, do you have any more questions?"

"None!" She, too nervously, shouted. "Thank you for recommending me; I'll do everything I can to live up to your expectations!" She saluted. "Thank you for your service!"

"…" Did she say something wrong…? What was she talking about, she just _saluted _him… She felt like crying. "Todorki-san… You're too nervous. They'll eat you alive if you hesitate."

What did he just say, was she mistaken? Eat her alive…? What?! Didn't he say that the children here were good kids earlier?! "Senpai, what do you mean…?!" She was panicking now, what does he mean by that, why did he look like he was sending her to the shark tank?!

They were nearing their destination, a woman probably around their age in front of the door that led to it, a teacher perhaps. Fuyumi would've felt better at seeing what she supposed was her superior if it weren't for the fact that the woman looked like she was going to cry at any moment, body trembling, frantically looking side to side. Fuyumi noted she looked like a nervous wreck.

She was not in any position to compare.

"Amamiya-san!" The woman eyes locked onto them, Fuyumi had the instinct to jump away from the woman's speeding path, despite not being between them. The woman's body barrelled onto her guide, body sliding down until she held onto his leg for dear life. It looked pitiful… "You're here to help?! You're really here to help?! Thank you, thank you so much…!" Fuyumi was confused, scared. Was the woman just like that or did something happen to her? She didn't know.

Her senpai did, though. "Ikoma-san, this is Todoroki Fuyumi." Completely unfazed by the being suffocating his leg, he continued his introductions. "Todoroki-san, this is Ikoma Komari. She's a new teacher here; you'll be assisting her. Don't mind, she's just prone to crying."

Fuyumi didn't like that, she didn't like that her superior was prone to crying a lot. She was the one who wanted to cry.

"Also, because I don't work around here anymore, I'll have to leave you two." He gave them a thumbs up. "Good luck, try not to die."

Die?! Did he say _die_?! "Are the rumors true then?! That the students of this school are actually villains in disguise?!" She didn't like this, she really didn't like this.

"Nooooo…! I'm begging you, please don't leave…!" Komari tears doubled, hands unwrapping around his limb and grabbing onto his shirt, effectively acting as an anchor. "Please, just stay for the day, just this once…!"

The two women were frantically pleading, one asking panicked questions, the other bawling as incomprehensible sentences left her mouth. There seemed to be no end to their panic, Fuyumi was sure she would never recover from this panic. She was going to run away and tell the world it wasn't worth the mental torture, but Ren managed to walk over to her, Komari dragging beside him. He put a hand on her shoulder, causing her to stiffen at the sudden contact, a hand was on the crying teachers head, patting it as he spoke.

"Calm down, you'll be fine."

She saw a glow for a second, probably her seeing things in panic. Fuyumi would have retorted at his comment, maybe proceed to panic some more. She was sure Komari would have done the same as well, only cry instead. For some reason though, she never did. In fact, she did calmed down, her mind cleared like never before. Komari got it together, too, the teacher now just tearing up as she stood, hands rubbing the tears away.

Fuyumi still didn't like that her superior was prone to crying. Again, she was the one who wanted to cry.

"Now then," Ren put his hands in his pockets, a phone pulled out. "you two have a class to teach." She and Komari just nodded in response. Ren gave them a happy smile. "Good. Good luck, you two. I'll be taking my leave now."

And he did just that. Fuyumi and Komari watched his back until he turned a corner. Gone. Amamiya Ren was now gone. Class was about to begin, and the young man was no longer in sight… She didn't mind, for some reason or another, didn't mind him abandoning her just like that. She felt much more better than she did a few seconds ago, her mind cleared from any distractions. Fuyumi didn't know whether that was a good or a bad at this moment.

Fear, after all, was an important factor for survival.

"Ummm… Komari-san, shall we… go inside?" She thought that was a good way to start, at least until she heard the sniffling. "Komari-san?"

The response she was given was a crying woman, openly bawling in the hall they were standing in. Fuyumi could only hear fragmented sentences from the woman, _"He left again"_ and _"I want him to come back"_ being the only things she could pick out. Nonetheless, the crying woman led her to the door of the class, opening it for the two—

"It's them! ATTACK!" She didn't have time to react, neither of them did. So, that's what he meant when he said, _"don't die_". She should've known… This was Masegaki Primary school. It only made sense…

She had a long day ahead of her, it seemed.

**[June XX, 12 PM]**

"Angel-san, can you help me with this?" She pointed towards the bouquet, the one she was working on. "I don't know which flowers to put…"

"Ibara-san… how many times do I have to tell you that I'm not an angel?" He already had the flowers ready for her, passing it to her. "Here you go."

She didn't believe his statement, it was a lie. "You truly are amazing. Truly a divine being brought to the motal realm!"

He sighed shortly after her saying htat, but she was sure he was just tired, not because he was annoyed with her. He was, after all, an angel in disguise, one who only sought the happiness of others at the expense of his own. Oh, what a sin it was for such a heavenly being to walk this earth, bounded by chains of flame and unjust. This world was truly sinful, wronging such a being—

"Shiozaki Ibara! How many times do I have to tell you not to bother Amamiya-san while he's working?" Oh, how cruel her mother was. She would not be forgiven despite bowing to an angel. "I'm so sorry about her behaviour, she's young, so I'm sure it's just a phase of hers."

Phase? Her mother calls her new way of life a phase? How dare she? "Mother, I must protest. This is by no means a _"phase"_, this is my new way of life, a way to redeem myself for my sinful past." Ibara put her hands together, chanting a prayer telling for the lord to forgive her mother, a thousand lashings be brought upon the hag.

The hag, her mother, didn't like that.

"Shiozaki Ibara! Enough with your silly nonsense!" Her mother pulled her to the back of the shop, a staircase leading to their home above. "I'm so sorry, Amamiya-san, but could you man the store for a while? I need to teach my daughter some common sense again…" How rude, she had plenty of common sense! Forget a thousand lashings for her mother, may she burn in the after life for her wicked deeds. But first, she must be restrained before she commits anymore.

"Don't you dare use your quirk to—mmmphhh!" Ah, much better. The sinner was dealt with, the vines happily wrapping around the woman, effectively gagging and silencing. How beautiful, her mother was now truly one with nature. She walked up to her angel, basking in his presence. How divine.

"Please forgive my mother for her foolishness." She could hear the woman's cries from where she left her. The staircase now abundant with noise, vines peeking through. "She simply does not understand the path of virtue I have taken."

"That's great and all, but you should look behind you." Hmm? Behind her? "Your mother looks quite mad." Nonsense, she just tied her—

"Shiozaki Ibara! How dare you use your quirk like that on your own mother like that!" Ah. It seems the sinner had escaped her punishment; how shameful. She would've restrained the heretic once more, but her hair was being pulled now, her body being dragged by the heretic's strength. "You are in so much trouble!"

"Angel-san, please, save me!" Her arms reached out to him, her saviour just out of reach. "Save me from this sinner's unholy judgement…! I beg of you!"

She saw him move his hand from his pocket, it seemed her wishes will be granted. Instead of him reaching out to save her though, he just waved, telling her good luck, before helping a customer who walked into their store. Oh, how cruel he was, but she could understand. She understood very well.

He was testing her strength of will, testing whether she could endure or not. How wise. She would live up to this challenge, meet his expectations.

"I swear… why do you call him an angel anyways?" Her mother asked. "What could possibly prompt you to think that? I just don't understand…"

Oh, mother… Do you not remember? The fire which burned, the wounds you sustained? Do you not remember the white wings, the miracle he made? Did she truly not remember his divinity and selflessness, his power to heal, and to save?

How disappointing and sad.

Ibara clasped her hands together, her eyes closed. An image of the past as clear as day and vivid in detail popping up in her head.

"It's because he's an angel. One who grants second chances."

**[August XX, 3:30 PM]**

"You… you have got to be kidding me…" It didn't make sense, this was where he disappeared to? "Why in hell's name are you working at a convenience store? This is where you disappear to when you close the store?"

"I needed a change of pace."

"And how does working at a convenience store change that pace?" Sekijiro didn't understand him at all, this made the least amount of sense. "I could have enjoyed a nice drink to soothe my nerves this morning, but you decide to deny all your customers because you wanted to work _here_?"

"To be fair, I wasn't working here at the morning." The clerk said. "I had other things to do."

Sekijiro didn't like how casual he was about this. What was wrong with this young man? "You _own_ a business, and you decide to run off doing who-knows-what, and work at a convenience store? Just what is wrong with you?"

"Excuse me sir, but I'm afraid there are customers that need to purchase some things." Sekijiro knew the young man was right, there was a line waiting behind him. Ren's hand gestured to the exit, a wonderful customer service smile plastered on his face. "If you're just going to bother me while I am working, I am going to have to ask you to leave. Next customer, please!"

"Wha— Hey, don't just brush me off!"

"Next customer, please!"

"Hey, don't you ignore me!" He wanted answers, damnit!

The clerk grabbed a phone from underneath the counter he was behind, dialing a number and putting it to his ear. The voice he spoke with was serious, merciless. Sekijioro didn't like that. "Excuse me, is this the police? I have a man here who's bothering the employees at—"

"Don't go calling the police!" He couldn't believe what the young man was doing, had he no shame? The Boss was clearly joking (he hoped), yet there was definitely a voice at the other end of the line…

Who in the world calls the police on a hero?

"Yes, please come right away. I feel that he may harm the customers at this store. Yes, he has white hair and x-shaped scar on his—"

"Don't go starting scandals, you damn idiot!"

**[December XX, 11:00 PM]**

She was a celebrity among celebrities, a hero no less. At the end of the year, she was invited to party after party, hundreds of invitations in the form of letters and emails sent to her in waves. However, she turned them all down; she wouldn't attend their events.

Uwabami had other plans.

She was just like that. The last month of the year was _her _time, the month where she took off from both modelling and her hero duties, unless there be an emergency. Instead of going out to insanely large celebrations, she chose to isolate herself from the world, get a nice drink to warm her up on the inside. What better way to do that then at a small-time bar, hidden away from the world, one where she could sit back and relax without worrying about any kind of media to bother her.

It certainly helped that the bartender was someone she trusted; a dear friend of hers. She knew him for about three years now, and she couldn't be any more content. At face value, he was a plain looking man – _teenager_ back then. She knows never to judge a book by it's cover now, though; he taught her that all too well.

Who knew that she, Snake Heroine: Uwabami, would befriend such an individual? Most would assume that he would be the one blessed to know someone like her, but it was the opposite. She was the one lucky enough to have him enter her life.

She was grateful. Truly, truly grateful.

"Join me for a drink already." She sat on a stool right in front of him, leaning onto the counter while giving him her most charming smile. Her eyes fluttered, her legs crossed sensually, she tilted her head just a bit, her whole being alluring—

"Yet, a famous celebrity like you walks in here." He was completely unaffected by her charms, only entertained by it. "Besides, you know I don't drink. You did plenty of that for me already."

That jab was a low blow, she didn't like that. She pouted. "Rude. And you treat your customers that way?"

"Business is still running." She pouted harder, watching him as he just put her order in front of her. "I'm only joking. Don't look at me like that." She didn't listen to his request, she kept on looking at him like that, eyes scorching a hole through his glasses, eye contact never lost. She never pouted for anyone but him, yet he still resisted her charms. Guess that's what she gets for trying to abuse it all the time against him.

Shame, it worked all the time too.

"I swear you're spoiled." She was, but that was only because he spoiled her. She watched the all too familiar path of him going to a switch to the back, the sound of it being flipped indicating the store's neon sign turning off, the place was now closed. She grinned savagely as he walked towards the front entrance, locking the door to ensure no one bother the two.

Her feminine wiles triumph again. She truly was a temptress. No one could resist.

"No, you're not." He said, walking past her, reading her mind. He went back behind the bar counter once more, grabbing himself a drink. Water, she presumed. "I'm not drinking. Heaven knows how smashed you'll be by the time you're done."

She tried to remember this _last time_. She couldn't. She hesitated. "It wasn't that bad… It wasn't that bad, right?"

"Compared to when we first met? No, no it wasn't." She was relieved. Thank goodness, she thought. She didn't like causing too much trouble for him, she'd done that already a long time ago. "It was still pretty bad. You vomited all over the place, WHILE trying to strip me."

Never mind. It was just as bad.

"Uwah… I'm sorry… Still, you should have told me then…"

"You were so happy, I didn't want to rain on your parade." He gave her _that _look "Besides—"

"_You can rely on me_, right?" She finished that sentence for him, preventing what was to come from happening. Still, it happened somewhat, the mere memory making her look anywhere but at him. She hadn't even taken a sip of her drink, yet she was going a bit red. Stupid guy and his innocent words, a pure maiden would be lovestruck by him if they weren't careful. Still, she couldn't help but think back. Back to those times.

Rely on him... Just how many times had she, her eyes became distant as she thought about it. Three years she'd known him, yet it only took one for him to change her. Whenever she was down, he would somehow be there, waiting to help. It was always scary how perceptive he was, and it was completely unfair how selfless he could be.

She didn't think she's ever done anything to repay him, not once. Now that she thinks about it, the only thing she actually knows about him was his name and number, nothing more. He worked at this bar, that was obvious. His birthday was… He liked to… His favorite color is… Favorite hero… Oh, crap, she didn't know. Realization dawning on her.

She was a really shitty friend. Oh god, she didn't even know how old he was… Early 20's, obviously, but she did not have the knowledge of the exact number. The only way to tell her surprise was her eyes widening a bit, but that was more than enough for him to catch on.

He was just that good.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing! Nothing is wrong!" She hid her worries with a smile, being a celebrity and hero teaching her that. She could tell he wasn't impressed with that, though. "Really, nothing is wrong."

Besides her being a shitty friend that is.

His frown only made her feel worse, she made him worry. "If you insist." She cringed at that, he only said that when he didn't believe her. Most of the time he was right not to.

"Do me a favor." He said, his eyes hidden from her own somehow. The light doing it's tricks again with his glasses.

"Hmm? What for?" She did what he asked, a playful tone to her voice in hopes of tricking him and herself to stop worrying. "Trying to steal a kiss from little ol' me?"

"Put your hand on the table, palm facing up." He didn't miss a beat, not affected in the slightest by her little jest.

"Oh? You want to hold my hand? How bold." She felt something placed on it. Not a hand, definitely not a hand. An object of some sort. What was it?

"Open your eyes."

She did just that. And she couldn't suppress the sound of surprise she made when she saw what was on the palm of her hand. A small box, which probably held some kind of jewelry, was on her hand, a little ribbon wrapped around it and turned to a bow on top. She knew why he was giving it to her, she told him about it last year. She just didn't expect him to actually give her something. She told him many times that her fans and directors give her too many gifts already, he may just get her something she already had.

That didn't seem to stop him.

"You shouldn't have…" She was smiling, bad thoughts about herself forgotten. "You're too sweet."

He really was the best kind of friend to have.

"Happy Birthday, Uwabami. Congrats on making it this far." He put his glass up, a gesture given. "Cheers."

"Cheers!" She hadn't smiled this wide in a while, happy to be alive. She raised her drink and their glasses collided. Toast, to the two.

Honestly, she was really lucky to have met him.

Amamiya Ren friend was the best thing to happen to her life, and nothing would change that. Be it a fight, a war, or even the apocalypse, Uwabami would always consider him her friend. Absolutely nothing could changer her mind.

She owed him that much at least.

**[?]**

The store was closed, yet it acted as a home for him. To the back of the restaurant led some stairs which ultimately led to a large open space.

Exactly the same to the original.

Was he chasing phantoms, was he stuck in the past, or was it a way to cope? Either way, this was his home, a decision he made.

Just not the one he wanted.

It was early in the evening, yet the sun was already down. He left his residence and took the train to a more commercial district. Night had taken over, yet the city would still be alive. People would still line the streets, shops would still be open, the city would never sleep.

Neither did the those who would wrong others, take advantage of the night to do so. Guess it was time— time to don the mask once more, just like all the other times he's been here.

He could use a patrol. He hadn't done one in a while since the store opening.

Time for the show to begin.


End file.
